1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connecting rod for an internal combustion engine and to an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
DE 10 2010 016 037 A1 and FIG. 1 herein show a connecting rod of an internal combustion engine having an adjustable compression ratio. The connecting rod 10 has a pin bearing eye 11 and a connecting rod bearing eye 12. The pin bearing eye 11 connects the connecting rod 10 to a crankshaft (not shown in FIG. 1) and the connecting rod bearing eye 12 connects the connecting rod 10 to a cylinder piston (not shown in FIG. 1) of the internal combustion engine. The connecting rod 10 is assigned an eccentric adjusting device 13 that has an eccentric (not shown in FIG. 1), an eccentric lever 14 and eccentric rods 15, 16. The eccentric lever 14 has a recess that is arranged eccentrically with respect to a center point 17 of the connecting rod bearing eye 12 and has a center point 18. The recess in the eccentric lever 14 receives the eccentric and a recess in the eccentric receives a gudgeon pin. The eccentric adjusting device 13 functions to adjust an effective connecting rod length leff. The spacing of the center point 18 of the recess in the eccentric lever 14 from a center point 19 of the pin bearing eye 11 is understood to be the connecting rod length. The eccentric rods 15, 16 can be moved to rotate the eccentric body 14 and therefore to change the effective connecting rod length leff. Each eccentric rod 15, 16 is assigned a piston 20, 21 that is guided displaceably in a hydraulic chamber 22, 23. A hydraulic pressure that acts on the pistons 20, 21 that are assigned to the eccentric rods 15, 16 prevails in the hydraulic chambers 22, 23. The movement of the eccentric rods 15, 16 is possible or not possible depending on the oil quantity in the hydraulic chambers.
The adjustment of the eccentric adjusting device 13 is initiated by the action of mass and load forces of the internal combustion engine that act on the eccentric adjusting device 13 during a work stroke of the internal combustion engine. The directions of action of the forces that act on the eccentric adjusting device 13 change continuously during a work stroke. The adjusting movement is assisted by the pistons 20, 21 that are loaded with hydraulic oil and act on the eccentric rods 15, 16. The pistons 20, 21 prevent restoring the eccentric adjusting device 13 on account of varying directions of force action of the forces that act on the eccentric adjusting device 13. The eccentric rods 15, 16 are connected on both sides to the eccentric body 14 and interact with the pistons 20, 21. The pistons 20, 21 are guided in the hydraulic chambers 22 and 23, and the hydraulic chambers 22 and 23 can be loaded with hydraulic oil from the pin bearing eye 11 via hydraulic oil lines 24 and 25. Check valves 26 and 27 prevent a return flow of the hydraulic oil from the hydraulic chambers 23 and 24 back into the hydraulic lines 24 and 25. A switchover valve 29 is received in a bore 28 of the connecting rod 10. The switching position of the switchover valve 29 determines which of the hydraulic chambers 22 and 23 is filled with hydraulic oil and which is emptied, with the adjusting or rotational direction of the eccentric adjusting device 13 depending on this. Fluid lines 30 and 31 contact with the hydraulic chambers 22 and 23, which, in turn, are in contact via with the bore 28 that receives the switchover valve 29. In FIG. 1, an actuating means 32, a spring device 33 and a control piston 34 of the switchover valve 29 are shown diagrammatically, and function substantially as described in DE 10 2010 016 037 A1.
As described above, the hydraulic oil acts on the pistons 20, 21 that are guided in the hydraulic chambers 22, 23 and is fed to the hydraulic chambers 22, 23 via hydraulic lines 24 and 25, starting from the pin bearing eye 11. The connecting rod 10 acts by way of the pin bearing eye 11 on the crankshaft (not shown in FIG. 1) so that a connecting rod bearing shell 35 is arranged between a crankshaft bearing journal of the crankshaft, and the pin bearing eye.
DE 101 08 461 B4 discloses a crankshaft bearing for an internal combustion engine having an adjustable compression ratio. The crankshaft is mounted in eccentric rings in the crankshaft bearing. The eccentric ring in the crankshaft bearing has a circumferential oil distribution groove on its outer circumferential face. Oil can pass in the direction of the oil distribution groove via an oil feed channel in the engine housing.
It is an object of the invention to provide a novel internal combustion engine and a novel connecting rod.